Pentecost B Proper 27: Forgiven Hypocrites

Today’s Gospel gives us some insight into the message that Jesus had for two different kinds of people. As the Gospel reading opens, Jesus is warning against religious hypocrites. He said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers.” These scribes are both bullies and hypocrites. They worked hard to maintain a high and honored standing in the community. Then they misused their position to victimize the less fortunate in society.

Then there is the poor widow [who] came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. This woman caused Jesus to [call] his disciples to him and [say] to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” The important point here is not that this woman gave everything, but that she trusted God to supply all her needs.

It is very possible that this widow was one of the widows who had been swindled by the scribes whom Jesus condemned. The words that praise the widow condemn these hypocrites, for they stand idly by and do nothing to help her. His words are a true lament over all those who are fat with cash, see this poor widow, and do nothing for her. He laments even more for those who cheated her out of her life’s savings. Those hypocrites were wealthy on the outside, but their hearts were poor on the inside. They would do well to ask, [Mark 8:36] What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?

On the other hand, Christ’s words praise the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith that allowed this poor widow to experience the joy of giving to the Lord. Christ’s words in the literal Greek say, “… from her poverty, as much as she had, she threw her whole life.” Jesus looked beyond the coins and saw a woman who loved God with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength. She not only placed her life savings into the treasury, but Jesus saw that she knew her life was in God’s hands. She may have been poor on the outside, but her heart was truly rich on the inside.

By definition, hypocrites are people who fool others into thinking that they are Christians and, at the same time, do not believe. They look like Christians on the outside, but only God can see that their hearts have no faith.

The sad thing is that they must be very knowledgeable in what others expect of Christians. They must know enough to fool others into thinking they are devout. After all, it is hard work to lead a double life – one in public and the other behind closed doors. Hypocrites choose to abuse their God given talents and they put them to an evil use. They are in the extremely dangerous position of knowing exactly what is right and then making a decision to do otherwise. Is it any wonder that hypocrites often provoked Jesus to righteous anger?

Perhaps the saddest hypocrites are those who are such great actors that they fool even themselves. No doubt many of the scribes thought they were the epitome of righteousness. No matter how sternly Jesus warned them, they refused to listen to Him.

So, where do we fit into the story? Are we like the widow, or are we like the scribes? Of course, we all want to be like the widow, right? OR, could it be that we just want people to think that we are like the widow. After all, she threw her whole life on the Lord. Have you really thrown your whole life on the Lord? Does it make you feel just a little bit more than uncomfortable to think about trusting solely in God? Remember that God judges the heart. What does your heart look like?

Ask yourself a few simple questions. Have you ever mouthed the words of the Lord’s Prayer perfectly while thinking about lunch? Do you start getting antsy when God wants to give us a few extra gifts on Sunday morning and the service runs a little long? Do we get very disappointed, maybe even depressed, when we do something special for the church and no one notices? Do you ever think, “There are some real hypocrites in this congregation, I hope they are hearing this sermon?” Let’s face it. We are all hypocrites more often than we would care to admit.

Jesus said that hypocrites will receive the greater condemnation.” Do we deserve that greater condemnation for all the times that we have been hypocrites? Those of us who are honest know that we have indeed been hypocrites. We do indeed deserve that greater condemnation that Jesus spoke of.

Fortunately, someone has thrown in a whole life for us. Just as this poor widow offered her whole life at that offering box, so the Holy One who watched her, offered His whole life on the cross. Here is One who was never a hypocrite – who never did anything that deserved condemnation. Here is One who endured the greatest condemnation and made payment for the sins of the world. When Jesus Christ suffered and then died on the cross for us, He offered up His life as the perfect sacrifice that satisfied the justice of God.

Because Jesus Christ lived a perfect life that was free of hypocrisy and every other sin, the grave could not hold Him. Although His friends laid Him in the tomb on Friday, He rose from the dead on Sunday. He now lives forever and offers us a whole life. Through His sacrificial death and His triumphant resurrection He offers us forgiveness for all our sins including the sin of hypocrisy. AND where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.

The Holy Spirit works through the Word of God to give us the same faith that the poor widow in today’s Gospel had. He works through the audible Word of God as we hear the readings and He works through the tangible Word of God that we eat and drink in the sacrament. The faith that the Holy Spirit gives us, receives the gifts that Jesus Christ earned for us as He gave His life for us. The faith that the Holy Spirit works in us through Word and Sacrament, gives us a share in the Kingdom of God. In that kingdom, we receive forgiveness, life, and salvation.

The world often accuses us by saying, “The church is full of hypocrites.” The world is correct. That is because the church is full of human beings and human beings are hypocrites. Human beings are also thieves, liars, murderers, and adulterers. Human beings are sinners.

The real difference between the world and the church is that the church is full of hypocrites who are forgiven. It is also full of thieves who are forgiven, liars who are forgiven, murderers who are forgiven, and adulterers who are forgiven. The church is full of sinners who are forgiven.

A day is coming when every person will leave this world behind. Those who leave without faith in Jesus Christ will leave without forgiveness. They will suffer the eternal condemnation that their hypocrisy and other sins have earned. Those who have faith in Jesus Christ already have forgiveness. They have left their sin and its condemnation behind. They will enter the eternal joy of heaven. They will enjoy the eternal peace of Him who threw in His whole life for us. Amen